Method and apparatus for producing paper-stock.



W. E. PHELPS. METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING PAPEB STOCK. APPLI CATION FILED JUNE 26, 1913.

Patented Dec. 29, 1914,

- WILLIAM E. PHELPS, BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

1 METHOD AND APPARATUS EOE PRODUCING PAPER-STOCK.

Application filed June 26, 1918.

To all whom it may concern 'Be it known that I, WILLIAM E. PHELPS, a citizen of the United States, residing at aaltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods and Apparatus for Producing Paper-Stock, of which the following is a specification.

- ther This invention relates to an improvement in the art of disintegrating the fibers of paper making material, preparatory to fursteps with the same material in the process of manufacturing paper.

My improvement contemplates the disintegration of-fibers both of old paper and fibers of chemically treated wood and other Vegetable fibers.

The object of this invention is to provide a combination of steps that constitute a new method; first to provide for a circulation through conduits, of an aqueous solution of the paper stock fibrous material while the process of disintegrating the fibers is going on"; second, to arrange the conduit through which the solution of fibrous material must circulate so there will be formed a plural number of consecutive sections of conduit" eachsection to be separated from the others but the several sections to be connected, in order that the solution of fibrous material will have a con tinuous flow through .said con'se cutive sections; and third, to applv to each succeeding section of conduit an independent suction or partial vacuum draft that shall be greater than that applied to the preceeding section, whereby as the solution of fibrous material progresses through the conduit the disintegration of the fibers will be facilitated ,and hastened. The accompanying drawing serves to elucidate the improved method which will now be described.

The drawing shows anelevation of the apparatus.

* An upright cylindric tank, 1, shown with its side partly broken away, has'a tapered or hopper-shaped bottom, 2, and is suitably supported. A vertical shaft, 3, is mounted within the tank on a step, 4, and said shaft has arms, 5, that are carried around as the shaft turns; the inner wall of the tank is Specification of Letters Patent.

Serial No. 775,858.

provided with arms, 6, that project toward the said vertical shaft, and these arms are sopositionedas to avoid being struck by the moving arms of the shaft. The top of= thetank is closed by ahead or cover and has a removable cap-plate, 7, through which old paper or other fiber material and also any chemical desired maybe supplied into the tank. A pipe, 8, opens through the side of the tank and has t-wo branches each provided Withn valve, whereby both or either water and steam may be entered into the tank so as to produce with the fibrous'ma- Patented 1190.29, 1914.

terial an aqueous solution having the temperature desired. The bottom of the tank has a suitable draw-off gate or valve, 9.

,A horizontal suitable hanger bearings, and bevel gears, 11, connect this shaft with the said vertical shaft, 3, in the tank. Any suitable power may be used to impart motion; for the purpose of illustration a motor, 12, is shown, \and a drive-belt,13, passes over a pulley, 14, 011 the motor shaft and also over a pulley, 15,, on the horizontal shaft, 10. A plural number of sections of conduit pipes are employed to make up the circuit from the bottom of the't'ank, 1, to the top of the same tank; and a plural number of rotary or cen-' trifugal pumps are also employed to produce a suction or vacuum draft from one section'of conduit and discharge into the next succeeding section of the conduit. The first section, 16, of the conduit leads from the bottom of the tank l, to the first rotary pump, 17; the second section, 18, is separate from the first section, and leads from the said first pump to the second pump, 19. The second pump, 19, is larger than the first pump, 17, and in operation, therefore, applies a suction or draft on the solution of fibrous material in the second section of the conduit greater than that which was applied by the first pump, 17, consequently a partial vacuum is created in the second section, 18, of the conduit. The third section, 20, of the conduit is separate from the second sec tion, 18, and leads from the second pump, 19, to the third pump, 21. This third pump is larger than the second pump and applies shaft, 10, is mounted in material in the third section of the conduit still greaterthan that which was applied by the second pump, 19, and thereby a partial vacuum is created in the third section, 20, of the conduit. Thefinal section comprises. two parts, 22,. 23, of the conduit and in the present instance leads from the third pump, 21, to the top of the tank, 1. For

the purpose of illustration four sections of conduit and three pumps are shown but any other plural number may be used.

A by-pass section, 24, of conduit is shown that leads from the second pump, 19, direct to the last part, 23, of-the final section;

thus cutting out the third section, 20, and the thirdpump, 21. In order to use this.

by-pass section, a cut-ofi valve, 25, is provided in the third section, 20, of the conduit, I and also a cut-ofi' valve, 26, is provided at the point that defines the separation of the two parts, 22, 23, of the fourth section of conduit. The bypass section, 24, itself is provided with a cut-off valve, 27.

j The word conduit as herein used is intended to have the same meaning as the word pipe.

The pumps may be driven in any suitable way and by any desired power; in the present instance the pumps are shown to be driven from the horizontal shaft, 10. A

belt, 28, over suitable pullies drives the first pump, 17 a belt, 29, drives the second pump, 19, and a belt, 30, drives the third pump, 21.

From this description and the apparatus shown, it will be understood that the aqueous solution of fibrous material flows from the bottom of the tank through a conduit or pipe that comprises a plural number of consecutive sections each of which is separated from the adjoining sections by a pump, and that an independent suction or partial vacuum draft is separately applied to each conduit section. and that a greater suction or" draft is applied to each succeeding section than that applied to any of the preceding sections and finally the flow of the solution may be returned to the tank. By this method the fibrous material willbe suspended in the aqueous solution as the material and solution both move through the conduit, and their flow through said conduit will be relatively retarded at a plural number of points at each of which a suction-pump is located. and a partial vacuum draft will be produced in the several sections of the conduit intermediate such points.

The effect of applying at difierent points of the conduit a suction or draft to the solution of water and suspended fibrous material as it flows through the conduit, so that asthe solution progresses the partial vacuump'roduced will be increased by each I pump, may be accomplished either by havpended; moving the solution and said fibrous material through a conduit wherein their flow is relatively retarded at a plural number of points, and producing'a partial vacuum draft, in'the several parts of the conduit intermediate such points.

2. The improvement in the art of disintegrating fibrous papergnaking material which consists of forming an aqueous solution of the fibrous material; moving the.

aqueous solution with'the fibrous material suspended therein through a conduit; applying, at a plural number of points along such conduit a,suction toproduce within the conduit apartial vacuum draft at each pointthesuction applied at each succeeding point being greater than that applied at the last preceding point.

'3. The improvementin the art of disintegrating' fibrous material which consists of.

forming an aqueous solution of the fibrous material in a tank; circulating the said solution through a. conduit that leads from the tank; and applying at a plural number of points along such conduit a suction to produce within the conduit a partial vacuum at each point-the suction applied at each succeeding point in the conduit being greater than that applied at the last preceding point.

4. An apparatus for disintegrating fibrous material having in combination a tank to contain an aqueous solution of the fibrous material: a conduit leading from said tank and making a circuit back to the tank and said conduit forming a plural number of consecutive conduit sections; and a vacuumproducing pump separating every two adjoiningsections and each pump producing a partial vacuum draft in the conduit section next preceding the pump.

5. An apparatus for disintegrating fibrous 'material having in combination, a tank to contain an aqueous solution of the fibrous material; a conduit leading from said tank and through which the solution and material will flow and said conduit forming a plural numberof consecutive sections; and

a plural number of vacuum-producing pumps along the line of the said conduit each succeeding pump having; a; greater capacity to produce a partial vacuum than terminal end of one conduit section with the 10 the last preceding pump. initial end of the next succeeding section.

6. An apparatus for disintegrating fibrous In testimony whereof I aflix my signa-" material having in combination, atank to ture in presence of two Witnesses. contaiuan aqueous solution of the fibrous material; a conduit leading -from said tank WILLIAM PHELPS" and forming a plural numbeu of consecutive Witnesses:

sections; and a plural number ofi-Jacuum- G; FRED. Veer,

producing pumps each pump connecting the Y CHAS. B. MANN.

Copies of thins patent may be obed for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of new,

Weanington, D. C. 

